1. Kootenay announced a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for Columba Project. 2. Resource includes 54 million ounces of silver at 284 gpt grade. 3. Drilling shows potential for significant resource expansion. 4. CEO expects strong probability of resource increase in upcoming drills. 5. Plans for an additional 50,000 meters of drilling are outlined.
The 54 Moz silver estimate significantly boosts KOOYF's valuation potential, reminiscent of similar successful projects in Mexican silver mining.
The substantial mineral resource estimate and planned drilling strongly position Kootenay for future growth and investor interest.
Ongoing exploration and resource expansion will likely take time, but results will enhance long-term investor confidence.
VANCOUVER, BC, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (OTCQX: KOOYF) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") is pleased to announce the completion of the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate on its 100%-owned Columba Silver Project, located in Chihuahua, Mexico. This milestone represents a major step forward in advancing Columba Project as a significant silver exploration target and development opportunity. Much of the drilling at Columba is wide spaced and the company intends to expand and infill known mineralized zones with ongoing work.
Kootenay's President & CEO, James McDonald states,
"The maiden resource estimate of 54 million ounces at an excellent grade of 284 gpt silver is just the beginning. It is a starting point of 54 million ounces that sets Kootenay up very well to achieve its objective of defining an economic resource at Columba. The probability of increasing this resource with the very next drill program is considered strong given all the open-ended mineralized zones and undrilled targets we see."
Targets for significant expansion are immediately evident. The D vein for example, is known to extend vertically for near double the depth currently drilled while nearly half the strike length of the D Vein needs more drill holes to pull intercepts into a resource.
Mr. McDonald adds; "Congratulations to our team for their high standard of work, diligence and attention to detail and for taking Columba from a property exam to a negotiation of concession ownership, to surface access agreements, to discovery, and now the maiden resource. We believe this resource is just the first step in defining the true extent of the mineralized system at Columba and remain focused on advancing exploration. We will continue with step out drilling of several kilometers of undrilled veins as well as selective infill on wide spaced intervals on known veins. Our team have designed an additional 50,000 meters of drilling planned at Columba with the first 20,000 to 30,000 meters focused on expanding the known resource."
Table 1-2 Columba Project Underground Mineral Resource Estimate, May 29, 2025
| Cut-off Grade | Mass | Average Value | Material Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFERRED | 150 gpt Ag | 5.92 | Ag: 54,072 koz, Pb: 25.2 Mlb, Zn: 65.6 Mlb |
The underground base case cut-off grade of 150 gpt Ag considers metal price of US$26.00/oz Ag, metal recovery of 90% for Ag, a mining cost of US$60.00/t rock, and processing, treatment and refining, transportation and G&A cost of US$45.00/t mineralized material.
| Vein | Mass | Average Value | Material Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFERRED | D | 3.29 | Ag: 30,964 koz, Pb: 15.8 Mlb, Zn: 43.7 Mlb |
| DHW | 0.08 | 310 | Ag: 789 koz, Pb: 1.1 Mlb, Zn: 1.6 Mlb |
| DFW | 0.03 | 250 | Ag: 235 koz, Pb: 0.2 Mlb, Zn: 0.4 Mlb |
| Total | 5.92 | 284 | Ag: 54,072 koz, Pb: 25.2 Mlb, Zn: 65.6 Mlb |
A comprehensive list of drill results completed on the Columba Property since 2019 may be viewed here: Columba Drill Results.
The Columba project is a classic high grade epithermal vein system that management believes is a newly recognized vein district. It is typical in character and size of other vein districts in Mexico known to have deposited significant resources of silver or gold such as La Chispas and Panuco.
All technical information for the Columba exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program.
Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico.
The information in this news release has been prepared as at June 16, 2025. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws.